So, this was supposed to go out last week, in honor of the
release of the 23rd James Bond movie. I’ve long had a fascination with the
character that started with the movies and led me to read almost all of
Fleming’s novels. I thought about
listing my Top 5 Bond books just to be different, but it’s been so long since
I’ve read them I don’t really feel prepared for that. Maybe I will give them a re-read and that
list will come some time in the future.
There are a ton of possible interesting Bond lists, Top 5 Bond Girls,
Top 5 Bond Girl Names, Top 5 Bond cars, Top 5 Bond Gadgets, Top 5 Bond Theme
Songs, I’d only be leaving out one, but I could even do Top 5 Bonds. Chances are one or more of those lists will
pop up somewhere in the future, but for now I decided to just go generic and do
my Top 5 Favorite James Bond Movie. I’ve
decided to keep Skyfall off the list because it’s still too fresh. I loved it and would probably put it one or
two, but I want there to be a little bit of time for it to stew before it gets
listed.
5) Octopussy
It’s long
been said that your first Bond movie is always the best Bond movie. While not my absolute favorite, Octopussy
makes this list probably because it was the first one I ever saw. It’s widely considered one of the worst Bond
films, but it still holds a place in my heart.
As I’ve gotten older I’ve found myself annoyed by most of Roger Moore’s
turn as Bond, yet this movie has always entertained me. It’s light on crazy gadgets and the plot is a
little convoluted, but I love Maud Adams and nothing ever compares to that
first Bond experience.
4) Goldeneye
This movie
will probably be best remembered for the Super Nintendo game that went along
with it, but it was also the triumphant return of the Bond franchise after a
long layoff and fear that the character wouldn’t resonate in the new non-Soviet
world. I would put every other Brosnan
film on my Top 5 Worst Bond films, but this one is just too good to knock. It made one believe that Brosnan was going to
be as great a Bond as Connery. Little
did we know that every other film he would be in was going to be more about big
explosions and horribly casted Bond girls.
This movie didn’t suffer from either of those. It has an interesting plot that focused on
story not spectacle and Famke Janssen may be the best Bond girl ever.
3) From Russia
With Love
This was
the first Connery film I saw and the first Bond book I read. There really shouldn’t be much argument that
the Connery films are by far the best of the series. There is just something about the way he
plays the character and the fun stories that were told. While the Moore
films feel horrible dated there is something timeless about the ones Connery
starred in. This is a classic Bond tale
that set most of the things we have come to expect from Bond movies such as the
pre-title action sequence, Bond gadgets, a helicopter sequence and Desmond
Llewelyn as Q.
2) On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
This film,
which has the series only one time Bond, George Lazenby, has recently found
itself resurging in popularity. For
decades it was considered to have a black mark because of Lazenby’s presence,
but people have come to realize that it is actually one of the best of the Bond
movies. Its story is more personal then
any other Bond and is the only movie, other then Casino Royale, where Bond has
a serious relationship with a woman. The
film's ending is totally unexpected and leaves us on a note that is a huge
departure from the series. Part of the
love of Bond comes from getting those moments that we have come to expect from
the character, but this movie’s departure is what makes it such a good
movie. Lazenby may be the most
forgettable of the Bonds but the movie he is in is easily one of the best.
1) Goldfinger
I know,
it’s the Joe Bloggs answer to the question, but there really can’t be much
denying that this is the best Bond film ever made. It has the best Bond girls, the best Bond
villains, the best Bond. The plot strays
from the typical Cold War espionage of the era and proves that Bond doesn’t
need The Soviet Union to be interesting.
Goldfinger is easily the most iconic of the Bond bad guys along with his
henchman, Oddjob. Although both only appear
in one movie, they are easily more recognizable then any of the characters that
appear in multiple movies in the series.
It also has the most famous line in Bond history other then “shaken not
stirred,” “No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to
die.” This movie is everything great
about James Bond and is the standard that all other Bond movies will be held up
to.
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